Milk Is Murder

Animal rights and animal cruelty have recently entered the public consciousness in a tragic way. After Minnesota dentist Dr. Walker Palmer killed #CecilTheLion, international outrage and fear ensued. Despite the fact that Jericho is not Cecil’s blood relative, he was acting as Cecil’s successor and a surrogate parent by protecting his cubs. Rumors concerning Jericho’s mortality cropped up, raising widespread concern about the fate of Cecil’s children. Fortunately, the Oxford University researcher confirmed that they were were false; Jericho is alive, well, and protecting the cubs who survive Cecil. Cecil’s cubs, however, aren’t as fortunate as Jericho, who has since abandoned the “guardian” role. Since then, one of Cecil’s 8 offspring has been mauled to death by a lion attempting to mate with their mother. Losing a parent is a traumatic experience for non-human creatures. It reduces their chances of survival, which is why the death of Cecil’s cub is especially tragic.Now that the world’s attention has shifted to animal welfare, I think that it’s essential to remain aware of how the meat industry destroys animals’ lives and families. While Dr. Walker Palmer paid $50,000 to murder a lion, Americans collectively pay millions of dollars to go about this sick business. I know so many meat-eaters who refuse to eat veal because the meat is that of a calf’s corpse. If you think that’s guilt-inducing, then I regret to inform you that you support the veal industry every time you buy a dairy product. And yes, the baby cows are crying.

Cows must remain pregnant in order to produce milk. Dairy farmers artificially inject cows with hormones and antibiotics to maximize milk production, including BGH (bovine growth hormone), a synthetic hormone that increases the likelihood of birth defects in developing calves. Dairy cattle spend their adult lives in a state of perpetual pregnancy in order to lactate. The final product is milk is made for mass human consumption, not for calves.